Tag Archives: writing

Apr 6 2016

AudioBook Review – Silicon Man

I’m back with Silicon Man by William Massa, narrated by Joe Hempel.

I can’t help but love I-Robot, as the original story and as the film, so there’s so much potential I see in this series, even after the TV show Humans, which was pretty awesome. So diving into this story was great. 🙂

You can pick up the audiobook at –

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Silicon-Man-Audiobook/B01DCMFIU4

and read my review there to. (always copy them here now) Spoilers follow.

————

“If you love Cybernetics you’ll love this. “

 

Thoughts as follows and SPOILERS

I was interested to follow this series and see what happens next. Or with whom I’m kinda glad that we got new characters to enjoy. Though it was a little predictive, (hence the mark down) I still enjoyed the performance from Joe and got involved with all the characters.

Cole Marcellus, is a cop with a terrible past, he’s dedicated to his cause and wants to stop all AI from hurting others, or running away.

There are some very interesting facts given very early on in this story. The Alsatian. The procedure for the upload… (which I have to say had me cringe over anyway, I mean uploading to a mechanical body… if this were possible… and it got out, how many ‘people’ would want to do just that. Doesn’t bare thinking on. However it does seed doubt in your mind from the get go.

So when AI cole is out and on his mission he gets to see some really awful ways that humans abuse the AI’s, and it’s kinda sad. The AI that rescues the cat is great, cause I am sure Cole was going to do it otherwise. But I do agree with him Cole should have let the enforcer zap him, he got in a whole lot of trouble. haha but saying that he wouldn’t have got to the underground as quick otherwise.

In regards to the whole underground and getting Solace. I honestly thought this whole section of the story was way to quick. Really stupid, no QT period or checks, or well it was just that, too quick and stupid on their part. And for me listening to it, I was shaking my head all the way through.

I did love Kira, and her background with Ron, that was well interspersed. When the Tak Team came in and they broke the underground up again another thing that was a little too predictive was the fact that Cole was still human and AI cole was never going to get back to his body.

The realisation for him though was well played. Even down to Zora putting in a safety memory wipe.

Solace was also one that was never going to get out of AI tak’s grips. I think for me what let me down here wasn’t the fact that I knew it was coming, but if there had been that little bit more build up with Cole and him (not just that one conversation) then it might have felt harsher in my ears, I might have gotten to know him and care for him. When they find him as a blank, I’m pretty indifferent to his story. Even if he’s been this huge hero for everyone, he kinda wasn’t for me.

The ending was pretty awesome, Joe added a depth to the excitement with the tone and pitch of his voice. Human against machine, brilliant and so so glad that Human Cole went back to see to Janson.

So much scope for this world, and the series. I’m still a fan, but sometimes slower is better with the story 🙂

Waiting on the next installment!

Apr 2 2016

Listening to your own work as an audiobook!

 

Well it kinda says it all really. The last few weeks and well the whole of this year so far almost seem a blur, from one thing to another, ups and downs as with life always…

Yet today I had plans, I woke early and couldn’t focus, back on the good ole plan (lipotrim) to get me in the healthy zone in the docs. I did so fab last year, but I’m still at the top end of the weight I want to be, and what is healthy for me, so almost 2 weeks in and feeling the pain of it all haha, the second time is so much harder. But the benefits are worth it, I know they are.

So yeah, no focus and you know when you really need it and it’s just not there yeah. So, ibuprofen, some paracetamol and lots of coffee and I just about started to come around.

I have always so much to do, that never ends, write up crits for the team on Scribophile, (which I’m near done on) and continue with a script I’m working on, I did sign up for camp nano and my cabin is awesome, yesterday I hit the ground running with a few wordwars after work to write 3.5k on my futuristic SO with my fav female character, Sarah Mendoza. I have to warn everyone this is a little out of my comfort zone, space battles and hardship I can handle, but she’s leaning towards a slightly erotic tone of content, haha, I love her but boy she’s opening my eyes.

But, I had an email late last night… A good one, squeeee and cue all excited jumps etc. I had the go ahead to go over the first section of audio for both TSK’s book 1 – Lethao narrated by Greg Tremblay and for our Shorts, The Truth Hurts narrated by Holly Adams.

I’ve only just got into listening to AudioBooks, so the experience of living inside the world someone else created for a few hours is just settling into my mind.

It’s a whole different ball game when someone else is narrating your world, your characters and their story.

It’s not like I write it and forget the story, no, but it’s like experiencing it all for the very first time.

I still haven’t done as much as I’d like, a house to clean and stuff to do here, but I listened to Holly’s work twice (loved it) and then moved onto the first book which I’m now up to chapter 4 on. This might take me all weekend. Haha, but I’m loving it. Kinda here thinking, I didn’t write this did I? but yes, I did. I’m very proud of the team where we’ve come from and where I hope we’ll go.

Thanks for being there with me @TeamSecretKing you brought to life what was only in my head. Now it’s free for everyone else to enjoy or hate, hehehe

Hugs –

 

Dawn

Mar 25 2016

CampNano!

So yeah. That says everything. April is looking good and I’m excited as usual. I have one story I haven’t finished from last year which is still begging to be continued. I am heavy in beta edits still from TSK’s book 2, which I’ve 7 chapters to get through this weekend. I’ve been out this morning with mum got some bits to keep me going and now I gotta knuckle down and get on with it. 🙂

Anyone else doing it? want to join in my small writing group on facebook… It’s a small group of last years camp participants a few nano friends and will have some from this year 🙂 but we’re from all over the world, all ages and genres, some huge talent…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/549921195147203/

If you do let me know, the more the merrier to get April well off to a good start. We’re in plotting and planning stages still but the more the merrier.

EXCITED!!!!!!

Mar 23 2016

Blog Tour – Illusional Reality

 

Fab  new release by Karina Kantas –

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Blurb – Nobody expects to stare death in the face only to find out your entire life is a lie. Rescued by Salco, marketing executive Becky finds herself in an unknown magical world filled with happy people that try to forget their land is on the brink of destruction.

myBook.to/IR

Author link – http://author.to/KarinaKantas

Facebook –

https://www.facebook.com/Karina-Kantas-Author-31754864225/?__mref=message_bubble

Twitter –

SmashWords –

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/karinakantas

 

And a short excerpt on soundcloud 🙂

Go check it out. 🙂

~ Dawn

Feb 28 2016

TSK’s next step AudioBooks :)

Last few days to get in as early bird members to the TSK website! come on I know you want in!

members image

It has been a busy week and I’m posting this side of today first. I did blog about my personal life earlier, but I’m scheduling that post for later.

The title really says it all, and as director of TSK Productions,  I’ve been looking for the right people to bring onboard for us since the beginning of January. They say good things come to those who wait and it’s so true. At first I was a little over excited about the possibilities of hearing TSK read by someone else. Then the task of finding that voice overwhelmed me.

The world of Audio Book is so different I hadn’t expected any of the process.

So for those who don’t know anything this was my journey to now. My friends pointed me at first in the direction of ACX. This is part of Audible and Authors (Rights Holders) can post their projects for potential Narrators to Audition for.

Here’s where I got a little lost. ACX ask you to fill in your profile and ‘sell’ yourself. I’m not very good at that but I tried my best, then they suggest you try and find a voice you like. I tried that and found someone, send them an offer and it lapsed without even a reply. I guess that is the nature of hunting for any partnership.

I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere and one of my friends pointed me to a facebook group. Which I joined and have been so happy with, I’ve learned much more about not only the process of ACX but also more about Narrators and how the system works. How they essentially do their job.

On ACX you can post your work with two options-

1 – A royalty share deal where the author and narrator split the profits.

2 – A PFH rate system which can range from anything like $100 – 400 an hour.

Now we RH’s don’t know how long it take for one person to get to that ‘finished hour, and the confusion seems pretty wide spread from chatter in the facebook group and amongst some of my Author friends.

The fact is it can take 10 hours to make 1 finished Audio Hour and although some narrators do all the work themselves, the fact is getting a producer to do the work frees time and means two ears are on the project not just the narrator and RH. A better win. But, narrators can’t pay for a producer out their own pocket, no matter how much they love a novel. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and so a lot of narrators try and negotiate for a Hybrid deal. Which ACX at the moment doesn’t have as an option for.

I was very lucky to start talking to a wonderful guy, Steven about the whole process, and we talked about what I needed for TSK and of course budget etc. I’m a big believer in paying people but I’ve personally only got so much cash coming in. And it’s taken me time to get that together with my savings. TSK’s been growing in a huge rate this last few months, in design and in everything we as a team do. I’ve backed everyone as I know I should and I will continue to do so.

Sorting out payments in advance for things like editing on book 2 trying to get ahead of the game and not worry about suddenly having to find a huge wad of money when I need the job done. I try and have a business head on, at all times, but yes of course I get excited and spend stuff I shouldn’t. lol

This last two weeks we’ve had Steve find and start negotiating with two very talented narrators. Of which I’m totally excited to say have now joined with us as Team TSK’s voice.

More than excited to welcome Greg Tremblay, who is taking on Book 1 and our short snippets. 🙂

His Audio books can be found at if you want to listen to his amazing voice –

http://www.audible.co.uk/search/ref=a_listener__cco_1_1_1_n?searchNarrator=Greg+Tremblay

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GTremblayVoice/posts/1224970447520737?fref=nf&pnref=story

and Holly Adams –

Audible link for her sweet voice is – http://www.audible.co.uk/search/ref=a_search_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Holly+Adama&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

and her facebook fan page

https://www.facebook.com/hollyadamsnarrator/?fref=ts

 

I know this project has a lot coming up.  We could keep these guys nice and busy for a bit, with book 2 set for release (sept, I’m hoping) our short snippets live each month and three of our writers working on other stories and novels set in the TSK world, we’ve lots to do in the next year or so.

Greg and Holly were both honest with me, and that little bit of ‘RH and Narrators’ don’t mix kinda thing I found wasn’t true. Greg told me that he found the language side of things exciting and daunting at the same time. I contacted Trent and they had a chat, which really helped, and I’ve since heard Greg’s proof for the story,  and so has Trent. Greg’s fantastic and Lacria sounds just fabulous.

I can’t wait for you guys to hear these two amazing voices, TSK will be brought to life on a whole different level. Which has left me totally awestruck this week.

Nothing else to do but, squeeeee.

🙂 talk later.